Starting over

#20 Tiger

Naruto POV

I woke up slightly before sunrise and prepared breakfast. I knew Temari and Gaara wouldn't be up for at least a few hours so I only made some bacon and eggs for me.

After eating I went to my room, changed into my Shinobi attire and left the house in search of a unoccupied training field. When I found one I sat down on a small dune and took one of my storage scrolls out. I channeled a bit of chakra into it and smiled when the smoke cleared revealing the summoning scroll from my mother. I carefully opened it and once again looked at all the names that were on it. Almost every one of them were Uzumakis with the exception of my father Minato Namikaze Uzumaki and Raito Namikaze Uzumaki.
I got a Kunai and cut my left hand, just enough to draw blood, letting it fall onto the next free spot in the list of the contract. I then proceeded to write my name in the space with the blood. I smiled as I closed the scroll again and resealed it into the storage scroll. I focused and went through the handsigns required for the summoning jutsu before send chakra into my right hand and laying it on the desert ground. A big cloud of smoke appeared blocking my view. I waited patiently for the cloud to disappear and was slightly amused when I heard a growl come from the dissipating smoke. When it had completely disappeared I stood face to face with a five foot high tiger which was growling at me baring its teeth. “Whoa calm down. I don't want to fight.”, I said raising my hands slightly to show that I didn't mean any harm. The tiger stopped growling and slowly began to walk around me. “We haven’t been summoned for quite some time now. Who are you?”, the tiger asked in a deep voice. “I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, son of Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze and Minato Namikaze Uzumaki. Nice to meet you.”, I exclaimed, having to look up as he stood before me. “You are Kushinas boy? I don't think so. I bet that you are not even an Uzumaki i mean look at you; Suna headband, blonde hair.”, The tiger said showing off his massive fangs. “Well, since you knew my mother I believe that you know that the Uzumaki were wiped out in the third great war. Kushina was amongst the few Uzumakis that could survive and the only one that was officially alive. I also suspect you to know that she had married one Minato Namikaze, fourth Hokage and master of the Flying Raijin. That is why I don't have red hair since I have inherited it from my father. As for the Suna headband that is because, after my parents died on the day I was born the village drove me away and I have found a new home in the sand.”, I tried to reason with the feline. The tiger seemed to think about something before taking a step back and closing his eyes.
Suddenly there was a big cloud of smoke next to him and when it disappeared it revealed another tiger but with many battle scars that were displayed on his body as well as an eyepatch over his left eye. He was also a good two feet taller than his younger conspecific. “Master please hear me out. I have been summoned by this human claiming to be an Uzumaki. While his explanation for his divergent looks are valid I wanted to have certainty before I would agree to his summoning proposal.”, the younger tiger spoke, bowing before the hard eye of his superior. Said tiger looked at me with his one eye and slowly walked towards me. “So you are the son of Kushina and Minato.”, he mumbled slowly circling around me. “Please pardon the behaviour of Gou, he is not old enough to have met your father. He only knows them from stories and myths. I can see the resemblance you have with you father. I am Akiara, the grand master of the tigers and I hereby accept you as our new summoner.”, the one eyed tiger said slightly bowing his head. I bowed too and then looked at the two tigers in front of me puzzled. “Don't I have to pass a test or something?”, I asked remembering the test from Gamabunta in the other timeline. “No, the fact that you have Uzumaki blood running through your body is enough for us to be at your service.”, Akiara replied. “You can go Gou.”,he said to the other tiger who only nodded and then vanished in a bit of smoke. “Now, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get the summoning contract? I mean it’s not like your parents could give it to you.”, the Tiger said once again looking at me. “Back when I was in Konoha the Hokage was in possession of my parents last wills and the stuff that I had inherited. When I went to Suna he sent it to the Kazekage with the instructions to give it to me once he deemed me ready.”, I explained. “I see…”, Akiara began before being interrupted by a cloud of smoke appearing. He sighed as he watched it dissipate and a small tiger cub stood before him. “Akira…”, the cub yipped silently and looked at the grown tiger with glittering eyes.  “You are early… again.”, the one eyed tiger sighed. The small cubs eyes widened slightly. “I am so sorry father.”,it said silently bowing before Akiara. “Well since you already are here… Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze this is my daughter Akira. Akira this is our new summoner Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” I said smiling at the little tiger. “The pleasure is all mine.”, she replied bowing slightly. “Well my job here is done, Akira will be your personal summon from now on, she will always be by your side until you say otherwise. I will take my leave then. I hope to see you soon.”, the great tiger spoke, bowing his head and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.